February 13th 2019 (Nyamilepedia) – A militia commander loyal to the Sudan People’s Liberation Army in Opposition (SPLA-IO) has declared his decision to abandon the Machar-led movement and join the National People’s Alliance Movement and Army (NPAM/A).
The NPAM/A is led by former SPLM-IO governor of Unity State, Gen. Ruai Kuol Jal, who fell out with the former First Vice President Dr. Riek Machar in 2017 following his “surprise” dismissal from the gubernatorial seat.
In a statement issued Friday, the spokesman for the rebel, Michael Banychieng Puok Kuiny, said, Pouk Tuor who is also nicknamed ‘Mäkuiy’, the commander of Gojom, a militia group allied to the SPLM/A-IO have joined their ranks along with other senior officers from the militia group.
“The leadership of your movement, The National People’s Alliance Movement (NPAM) has today, [February 8th 2019] received the leader of the Gojom forces in Northern Liech State,” Puok said in the statement seen by the Nyamilepedia.
“In its quest for a prosperous republic, the NPAM strives to spearhead a people-based decision making for the society[‘s] betterment to catch up with the world nations. The leadership calls upon all the good citizens, leaders of all categories to join in the championing for peace restoration and building the nation,” he added.
Gojom is a militia group active in South Sudan’s Unity state. Its forces are all armed civilians and is allied to the main armed opposition group, the SPLM-IO, led by the country’s former First Vice-President, Dr. Riek Machar Teny.
It has been actively in combat alongside the SPLA-IO forces since the onset of the South Sudanese civil war in December 2013.
